The needs of parents with psychosis and their children
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the emotional and practical needs of parents with psychosis and those of their children. Phase one: Qualitative study.
IRAS ID
255322
Contact name
Jessica Radley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford/Clinical Trials and Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 3 days
Research summary
Psychosis affects around 1 in 100 people in the UK. To experience psychosis means to have hallucinations or to believe things that aren't based in truth. Many people with psychosis are also parents. Living with a psychosis presents daily challenges with working, socialising, personal care, and finance management. Parenting add its own challenges on top of these, meaning parents with psychosis are in a particularly vulnerable position. The stresses of parenting can also worsen psychotic symptoms, which in turn makes it more difficult to parent. Despite this, parents are reluctant to tell professionals about their needs for fear they are seen as unfit parents.
The children of parents with psychosis are also in a vulnerable position. They are more likely to live in poor residential areas and have a difficult relationship with their parents. These children are also at risk of developing their own mental health problems when they are older.
In order to help these parents and their children, it is necessary to identify their specific needs. This must be done by taking into account both the parents' and the children's perspectives as well as acknowledging that there will be a relationship between both group's needs.
This qualitative study will investigate these needs by interviewing parents with psychosis, their partners/family members, their children, healthcare professionals who work with this population, and adults who were raised by a parent with psychosis. The themes from these interviews will go on to influence further studies done in the PhD project. The aim of the PhD project is identify the areas of need for these populations and describe the relationships between them, which will help to tailor an intervention for these families.
This PhD studentship has been funded by Mental Health Research UK and will be recruiting patients from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0013
Date of REC Opinion
18 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion